


What If You're What I Need

by YohKoBennington



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Angst, High School AU, Hogwarts AU, M/M, Oblivious!Tony, Pinning!Steve, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:44:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4014982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YohKoBennington/pseuds/YohKoBennington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony don't get alone, or so it seems. But after getting in trouble and having to spend some time together, things change for the best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a pinch hit for Sorellarba's art in Cap/Iron man RBB.
> 
> Her art post is [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4014082)
> 
> Thanks to alexisjane for the great beta. Any lasting mistake are my own.

**1.**

Tony Stark is not someone to hold grudges for too long, and in his short time in this earth there'd never been someone he could say he hated with all his being — he was proud of that. Until the day he developed magic powers and his parents sent him to Hogwarts Magic School, to get a good education while learning how to use them correctly. Until the day he met Steve Rogers.

Now, he doesn't hate Steve, that's a too strong of a word even for that annoying drill captain wannabe. But Tony can't stand the sight of him. Any time Rogers is around, something ugly builds inside Tony's gut and he loses all control over his actions. All he wants to do is make Roger's life hell. It’s only fair since _Blondie_ decided to do the same to Tony from the day they met.

For example right now, when Rogers overheard Tony's plan of going in to the Forbidden Forest tonight to test one of his hex boxes on some ugly creature. And, of course, Rogers had to give Tony a piece of his mind about the dangers of venturing through the forest without supervision. Rogers babbled for a good ten minutes, while Tony stood there rolling his eyes, showing how much he cared about Rogers' opinion, until the guy took the hint, pursed his lips in contempt, and proceeded to walk away. While Tony is not worried about Rogers telling on him because one thing he can count on is that Rogers isn't a snitch. He still can't help but flip him off with both hands while sticking his tongue in some form of victory dance, as Rogers starts to talk with a group of first year swooning teenage girls.

 

 

“Hate to break it to you Tones, but you're not being subtle.” Bruce mumbled, eyes glued to his book.

“Who says I'm trying to be?” Tony retorted, flopping down next to him. “Anyways, are you coming tonight, or not?”

“The last time I went to one of your adventures, Betty stopped talking to me for a week.” Bruce looks up from his book. “ _For a week_ , Tony.” He says seriously.

“Brucie, don't be like that.”

“Ask Clint, he's as crazy as you are.”

“Already did. He has to study for a test tomorrow, and Natasha is not letting him out of her sight until he can recite the twenty spells by heart. So there goes that suggestion.”

“Rhodey.”

“Date with Carol.”

“Pepper.”

Tony looks at him with big eyes. “She'll murder me if she finds out about my planned visit to the Forbidden Forest. _Alone; at night_. Do you want me to die, Bruce? I thought you loved me.”

“If you go to the Forbidden Forest you're going to die for sure.”

“Don't be such a party pooper.”

“I'm not going.”

“Fine!” Tony raises his arms up giving up. “I'll go alone. And if I die, _alone_ , it will be on your conscience.”

Bruce pats him in the back. “Have fun.”

“Oh, I'll have so much fun you'll regret it for the rest of your life for being such a pussy.”

“When you get a girlfriend, or boyfriend, then you'll see.”

Tony snorts. “Whatever. I'm not the kind of getting tied down. You should know that already bud.”

Bruce hums. “We'll see.”

“Why do I get the feeling every time we've this kind of conversations that you think I'm bullshitting you?”

“I've no idea what you're referring to.”

“You're totally...“ Tony trails off, feeling the hair of his neck stand up. When he turns Rogers is looking at him from where he's now reunited with his friends. If looks could kill, Tony would be flopping in the ground and dying slowly. Tony gives him a shit-eating grin, expecting Rogers to huff in annoyance, and go back to paying attention to his friends.

“I really don't get what's your problem with him.”

Of course, Tony knows why he and Rogers can't get along. It has been going on long enough that the answer became crystal clear. It's the simplest thing really. They just have different personalities; Steve is a stickler for rules, and Tony couldn’t give two shits about them. It's funny that they ended up in the same house— but that's life for you, with its wonders and all that crap. So, they clash, _a lot_ , because Tony loves to break the rules and Steve wants to keep Gryffindor's name perfect.

They've been in this tug of war for seven years now, and honestly, Tony can't wait until he graduates and he doesn't have to see Rogers ever again. In the meantime, well, Tony is going to enjoy his last year, leave his mark in this school and become one of those legends first year student talk about in shushed voices. And he’ll be damned if Rogers is going to stop him from doing so.

“I don't have a problem. He's the one always up my ass. You would think being a prefect would keep him busy enough to forget about my existence, but no, he just can't stop getting enough of my pretty face. I swear the guy was born to try to screw up my plans.”

Bruce gives him this narrowed pensive look that irks Tony.

“What?”

Then his eyes turn knowing and that's even worse. “Interesting analogy, that's all.” Bruce answers suppressing a smile.

“You're such a weirdo, you know that, right?”

 

~*~

All right Tony is going to admit— only to himself— that while his ideas are brilliant, the execution could be better thought out. Which is why he's now hiding from a very angry troll who is more than likely going to crush Tony's head with his gigantic foot.

Oh, and did he mentioned Rogers is right next to him?

“I can't believe how reckless and stupid you can be.” Rogers growled, keeping his voice down.

“Aw, Rogers, I didn't know you cared this much.”

Rogers clears his throat, and if Tony didn't know better he seems a bit flustered by the idea, although he has no idea why Rogers would be. “It's my duty to keep the members of the house in line and safe. That unfortunately includes you.”

“I think you meant _fortunately_. I'm a delight to be around.”

“Would you stop joking for just a minute? This is serious!” Steve hissed.

“Literally nobody asked you to follow me, Rogers. This one is on you.”

“I told you—“

Tony rolls his eyes. “It's your duty blah blah blah— spare me the speech again.”

“I think he's gone.”

“Crap, I gotta go after it.”

“You're not following it.”

“Of course I am. I gotta trap it and take it away from the school.”

“Are you insane?” Steve shrieks.

“See this box?” Tony says pointing at the black box with engraved ruins in each side and top lid. “I open it in front of the troll, then it's gone, trapped inside it. Then I can take it far away from school grounds, set it free and nobody has to die. Got that?”

Steve blinks at him astonished. “You're trying to stop the troll from hurting people?”

“Finally, he gets it.”

“That's not your job.”

“Yet, I'm the only one that can do it in a way when not one gets hurt, including the troll.”

“Stark, it's too dangerous...” Rogers cuts short when a growl sounds close to them.

“It's back.” Tony dashes out of the bushes, hearing Rogers mutter what he's pretty sure is cursing up a storm in a language that is definitively not English, and spots the troll wading its huge hands between the opposite bushes few feet away, obviously trying to find them. Tony feels Rogers standing behind him, and he starts to calculate what spot will attract he troll's attention, while keeping Rogers away from the danger. Because it’s one thing Tony being reckless with his own life, and another putting other people in danger.

Once he's formulated a plan, Tony moves quickly. He runs away from Rogers making as much noise he can in the process. His plan works as the troll starts to run clumsily after him. He can hear Rogers shouting his name distantly, and Tony wishes he would just shut up for a second so the troll won't get distracted and change directions.

That's exactly what happens. To Tony's horror, the troll swivels around, and noticing that Rogers is closer than Tony, decides to go after him instead. Tony curses mentally, and starts to run back, hoping he will be able to trap the troll before it hurts Rogers. But he's quite far, and the troll is close enough to Rogers that it starts reaching to grab him.

Rogers shouts _protego_ , pointing his wand directly at the troll who's fingers smash in to an invisible shield making it reel back quickly. Rogers doesn't wait a minute to throw a defensive charm that sends the troll flying backwards and through the trees.

Well, Tony should have seen that one coming; Rogers is a prefect for a reason.

“Alright, that was kinda cool.” Tony admits giddily, as he sides up to Rogers.

Rogers gives him a shy smile. “Okay, what's our plan to get that thing into that tiny box?”

“I just have to stand in front and open it.”

“That simple?” Rogers ask sarcastically. And hey, sarcasm looks good on him.

Tony decides that if Rogers insists on getting in his way, he might as well let him. “If you help it will be.”

They can hear the troll trying to get up, branches breaking with the weight of its body.

“Right, just let him come to us.”

Rogers gives him a disapproving look.

“Trust me.”

Rogers sighs. “Then what?”

“You keep guard in case the box doesn't work.” Tony shrugs.

“That can happen?”

“Of course.”

Rogers looks up to the dark sky visibly annoyed, and Tony can’t tell if he's mentally counting to ten, or trying to decide if any of this is worth it.

Tony pats him on the arm. “C'mon champ. Live a little.” That gets him a narrowed look. “Here he comes.” Tony announces as the troll finally gets up and moves towards them. Rogers gets in position next to him.

As soon the troll is a few steps away from them, Tony opens the box and thinks the words _plaga diremptus_ , and they watch as the troll is sucked in to the box, and then it closes tight.

“Ha!” Tony cheers.

“I can't believe that actually worked.”

“More trust in my plans, young grasshopper.”

“First off: we're the same age. And second of all, your plans don't sound like plans to me.”

Tony waves his hand dismissively. “But they are. I just have different back up plans for the plan, always.”

Rogers shakes his head. “Where did you get that box?”

“I made it.”

Rogers blinks. “You made it?”

“Yup.”

“Don't let this go to your head, but I'm impressed.”

Tony does not feel a little warm inside at the compliment, no sir. Why would anything Rogers thinks about him even matter to Tony. They don't get along, except they sort of did tonight. Crap. “Too late, it went right to my head. You should be, I'm a genius.” He jokes to distract himself from the feeling.

Rogers rolls his eyes. “Now what do we do with it?”

“Set it free away from the school. But that's for another night, the sun is about to come up.”

“Shit.”

They run back to the castle, the first rays of sun trying to break through the clouds as they walk hurriedly towards Gryffindor's dormitory.

“Hey, we made a great time back there.” Rogers comments, voice shushed.

“We did.”

“Let's not do it again too soon, okay?” Rogers asks sheepishly. And come on, what is he doing? Why does he have to look like a lost puppy? When did Tony start to notice such a thing? What's happening?!

Tony laughs, and promptly covers his mouth looking around. “I can't make any promises.”

“Well, it was fun, even the possibly about to be murdered part. I've never had to use magic to defend myself from something so big. It was thrilling.”

Tony gasps, faking surprise. “Rogers, are you telling me you've crossed to the dark side?”

“No—“

Someone clears their throat from behind, cutting short Rogers' answer, and when they turn, Director Fury is standing there looking, for lack of better description, like someone left poop in his shoes.

“Gentlemen, my office. _Now_.”

~*~

Fury isn't too happy about the whole wandering in the Forbidden Forest while there’s a dangerous troll in it. Of course, he confiscates the hex box after Rogers blabbered with awe in his voice that the troll lies inside it. It was kind of cute, and nice to see him be proud of something Tony did. On the other hand, now he doesn't have the box anymore, and he's pretty sure he'll never get it back if Fury has anything to do with it.

So now they are both in detention for four Saturdays. Tony could tell that Rogers has never ever had detention in his life, by the sour look that takes residence on his face. Tony tried to let Rogers off the hook, he really did— because he felt a bit guilty of getting the guy in trouble— but Fury wasn't having it. By the time they were allowed to leave the office, Rogers simply turned the other way without saying a word, and Tony can tell by the straight and tensed posture of his shoulder that he definitely isn't happy about the whole situation.

Whatever. This is his own fault. He followed Tony. Now he gets the sweet taste of consequences when you break the rules. Tony just thought for the amount of time they spent fighting the troll and the post-battle adrenaline, that finally their tug of war will come to an end.

Tony is sure that, if anything, now Rogers truly hates him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

 

Contrary to popular belief, Steve doesn't hate Tony. In fact any issues he has with the guy are the kind of issues he would have with any of his friends, because everybody is different. While he's normally pretty quick to judge— something he tries to keep in check— and the things Tony does sometimes make him go crazy, he really doesn't have anything against him.

It's actually the opposite.

He doesn't know when it happened, what event was that changed the way he used to look Tony Stark. Because in the beginning, yes, they didn't like each other, but somehow, as they grew up, Steve developed a crush. It came out nowhere, and it knocked him down. It annoys the hell out of him that it's even there, because who even crushes after such a self-centered jerk of a person? And for the last two years, he's been crushing on the guy from afar, waiting for said crush to die so he could stop thinking about the possibilities of them being together. But that hasn't happened yet, and now, in his attempt to keep Tony away from trouble, he's discovered things about Tony he could never have imagined. Like the night at the Forbidden Forest, Tony managed – with a selfless act of recklessness— to swipe away any belief Steve had of his self-centreness. When things like that happen, Steve finds himself getting so deep in his crush, that he's pretty sure he shouldn't call it a “crush” anymore.

Steve would ask the guy out, but he's not a masochist and he isn't putting himself out there when the object of his love—oh wow did he just used the 'L' word?— seems to want nothing to do with him. With that in mind, Steve should leave it alone, but Tony doesn't make it easy for him. Between Tony’s disregard for his own safety and his ability of getting into trouble at least once every month, Steve has his hands full trying to protect Tony,  _the idiot,_ from seemingly making things worse. And yes, it's not Steve's job to do this, but he can't just sit there and not try to make things better. He would do that for his own friends, why wouldn't he do it for Tony?

Now, thanks to one of Tony's brilliant ideas —he's being sarcastic— he gets to spend time with him every Saturday for a month. Steve doesn't know if to call that luck or torture. But he's going of try to make the best of it. If anything, spending more time with Tony will only give him a chance to get to know him better. Steve only wishes it was under other circumstances. His mom is not going to be happy when she hears about his detention.

The first Saturday of detention is with Professor Thor, who teaches Care for Magical Creatures. They arrive to the stables early, the sun is not even up yet, and when Steve looks at Tony he's yawning every five minutes. When Tony realizes he's staring at him, he shoots Steve a defiant eyebrow, that makes him quickly look the other way.

“Ah, here are the slaves.” Thor greets them cheerfully, and Steve barely holds back a wince at the high cheery tone of his voice.

“Oh god,” Tony whines.

“I prefer to be called Professor, Mr. Stark. Now, shall we start this great day of work?” He adds, rubbing his hands together.

Steve sighs. This is going to be a great Saturday.

~*~

Professor Thor has them cleaning up after the animals first, before they are ordered to help with feeding. Steve takes on giving the dragons their fish heads— he's going to be smelling raw fish for the rest of his life— while Tony takes the other row to feed the tooth fairies. They keep going in silence, Steve not sure what to say, and Tony probably doesn't want to talk to him. Although, if anyone should be mad, it's him.

“Uh, are we supposed to feed the Griffin too?” Steve asks, once he's at the end of his row. Tony approaches to stand next to him.

“He said to feed them all. But I don't think it's a good idea.”

Steve shrugs. If Professor Thor ordered them to do the whole task, he's then going to do it. He takes the bucket with the pieces of raw meat that are supposed to be for the Griffin.

“Rogers, I'm not sure you want to do that.”

Steve glances back at him, surprised to see actual worry on Tony's face. “It's okay. I know what to do.”

Tony seems to want to protest some more, but Steve is already opening the cell door and anything he was about to say dies on his tongue. Steve doesn't enter the cell, he can see the Griffin's eyes gleaming from a dark corner, observing him intently. Steve has been around a Griffin once. His grandfather had one as his companion, and he knows you got to show respect, and let the Griffin decide if you're worthy of its respect.

Steve gives a respectful bow, and stays there. He can hear Tony's breathing grow nervously as the Griffin comes out of its corner and walks until it's only three steps away from Steve. Steve can't see anything but it's feet, but when the head comes to view because the Griffin is also bowing, he knows it's safe now to straighten up and feed it.

Once he's done, and comes out and locks the cell behind him, Tony punches him in the arm.

“And you give me shit for being reckless?” He says smirking.

Steve huffs out a laugh. “It's not the same.”

“It's totally the same thing.”

The rest of their time in detention, Steve spends explaining to Tony how it's not the same, while Tony throws back counterarguments about Steve's views. And Steve is not going to lie, he has a lot of fun with the silly easy banter, and he thinks that maybe, by the end of their detention, Tony will at last stop not liking him.

~*~

Their second Saturday is spent writing assignments To-Do’s for Professor's Hill students in Transfiguration. They can't speak much, but they manage to sneak papers with short scribbled notes to each other. Soon they're trying to one up each other, trying to make the other laugh, and see when Hill will realize what they are doing.

Steve ends up losing the game when Tony writes something too funny about Hill, and the Professor simply gives them a harsh look before going back to reading her book.

~*~

The third Saturday is Professor Coulson's turn. They get to spend their day weeding through plants, and helping with setting up his next Herbology class. It's easy to fall into conversation, even though they still only talk during the detentions. Steve wishes they could spend more time together, but he's happy to at least get this.

By now he knows Tony is a fan of Quidditch like him, and they're naturally rooting for opposite teams. He had an idea that Tony is smart, but he could never had imagined how much Tony isn't lying when says he's a genius. It's fascinating hearing him talk about alchemy, potions and charms he has come up with off the top of his head. He's also funny, witty and sarcastic even when he's not fighting and trying to insult Steve. And Steve finds himself accepting things that would normally drive him crazy, like how much Tony likes to talk a lot— and if he could he would shut him up with a kiss—, his smugness can be annoying sometimes, and he already knew Tony has a nack for doing some pretty reckless shit that tops anything Steve could have done in his life.

One thing is for sure: Tony Stark is so much more than what people see of him.

But it still feels like there's a wall between them, and Steve has the vague idea that their animosities through the years have everything to do with it. He has been done fighting his feelings for Tony for a while now, and at least he wants them to be friends because when he really thinks about it there's really no reason why they shouldn't or couldn't be.

“At the risk of being very upfront, can I ask you something?”

Tony stops digging, and looks at him. “Are you going to ask me what kind of underwear I’m wearing? Because Rogers, I didn't think you were that kind of boy.”

Steve fights with all his might to not think about Tony in underwear; he barely succeeds. “It's not that.” He squeaks. Then clears his throat. “Okay, here we go. What did I do to you that you don't like me so much?”

Tony blinks. “What?”

“You're going to make me repeat that embarrassing question? You know what? Forget it. It was stupid of me to ask.”

“Rogers, will you shut up for a minute?”

Steve's mouth makes a loud pop when he closes it.

Tony regards him pondering. “I should be the one asking you that.”

_Wait, what?_

“What do you mean? I've no issues with you. Okay, the dangerous things you do most of the time drives me up the wall. But it's not enough for me to dislike you. I would be freaking out the same if Bucky did such a thing.” And he just said too much.

Tony grins knowingly. “Are you saying you have considered me your friend all this time?”

Steve quickly recovers. “I want to be your friend.”

“Huh.”

“So?”

“The only reason why I gave you grief is because you gave it to me.”

“I can't promise I won't try to stop you from breaking the rules.”

“And I can't promise that I won't fight you.”

“But we can still be friends, right?”

Tony nods. “Sure, why not?”

Steve walks towards him and stretches his hand. “Steven Rogers. Please call me Steve.”

Tony snorts, but he shakes the hand. “Anthony Stark. Call me Tony.”

“Friends?”

“Friends.” Tony affirms.

That night Steve goes to bed grinning like a happy idiot.

~*~

After that day, they didn't need the Saturdays to speak to each other. As the time passed, between Quidditch tournaments, classes, homework, and downtime, their friendship became everything Steve guessed would be if they had gave themselves the chance a long time ago. Soon Tony's friends become Steve's friends. And Steve friends become Tony's —even Bucky who's not too keen on making friends— and their friends become friends, and they all hang out together everywhere.

Steve, now on the receiving end of Tony's friendship, gets to see all those things that he guessed Tony was keeping from him, and has no reason to do anymore. How much he gives of himself to his friends— the people that truly know him.

Like the fact that Tony loves coffee, that it's what it runs through his veins instead of blood. Which thinking about it, it does makes sense because Steve has no idea how Tony functions, with his bad habit of staying up during ungodly hours just because he got a new idea and has to put it on paper and, quite often, build the thing. He gets grumpy if he hasn't had coffee and you start trying to make conversation with him.

He also gets to know the whole story of Tony's parents, being very rich wizards that travel around the world attending conferences and have created an industry on their own, and that now it's a multimillionaire empire. Steve can see where Tony got his smarts, but part of him was left wondering when they had time for their son if they’re so busy all the time.

The answer was none.

That is painfully clear when Christmas time comes, and Tony tells him he's staying at school. Apparently, it happens every year, and while the rest of his friends spend some time with their families, Tony stays, tinkering or creating a new project because he has no one to go home to in Christmas. When Steve asks Rhodey about it, he lets Steve know that they always invite Tony to come with them but he refuses emphatically every single time.

Well, that's not going to happen again.

With the help of Pepper and Natasha, they pack some of Tony's winter clothes into his bag without his knowledge. Steve has set up a plan in his head to make sure Tony doesn't spend another Christmas alone. Nobody should spend Christmas alone.

Once he has his bag and Tony's, and it's time to go, he goes to find Tony who's sitting in the dining hall scribbling what Steve is sure must be his Christmas project.

“My ride is here.” Steve announces.

Tony looks up from his parchment of paper, and grins. “What are you waiting for? Go ahead and bother someone else for a change.” He says jokingly.

“Yeah, about that. You're coming with me.”

Tony's eyebrows go all the way up. “Pardon?”

“You're not staying here by yourself, and you're coming to spend Christmas with my family.”

“Um, I've things to do.”

“That can wait until we come back.”

“Steve I don't need your pity.”

“This is far from it.”

Tony huffs exasperated. “I'm not going with you.”

“Yes you are.”

“Oh yeah? _Make me._ ”

Steve shrugs, not surprised at all at Tony's refusal, and before Tony knows what's happening, Steve has him over his shoulder.

“What the fuck, Steve?!”

Steve whistles, as he walks out of the dining hall, ignoring Tony's protests.

“Put me down!”

“Not until you say you're spending Christmas with me.”

“This is extortion— oh, this is a nice view though— and it's not fair. Who told you this is acceptable? Did Pepper put you up to this? Seriously, how did I not noticed what a great ass you’ve got back here before.”

Steve is glad Tony can’t see the blush on his face right now. “I'll physically drag you to my house, Tony, and obviously I can do it. So just say the words and I'll put you down.”

“To be honest, I don't know if I want you to do that anymore.”

Steve facepalms, and growls. “Tony!”

“Alright, alright, chill. I'll spend Christmas with you, are you happy now?”

“Yes.” Steve stops at the entrance of the castle where their bags await, and lowers Tony down on the snowy floor. “Was that so hard to do?”

“You fucker.” Tony grumbles, glancing at his bag. “You even got my bag packed. This is kidnapping.”

“Whatever you say. Now let's go before my dad comes looking for us.” Steve grabs Tony wrist and drags him behind him. Tony barely has time to fling his bag on his back, before he's stumbling and following him.

“I said I'll come. You don't have to force me anymore.”

“I won’t be sure until you get in that car.” Steve says as excuse, when really it just feels nice to keep physical contact with Tony for a while longer.

Tony rolls his eyes. “There better be a lot of butter beer.” He mumbles, giving up.

Steve just laughs.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

The first thing Tony receives from Steve's dad is a crushing hug, and once they make it to the house the same happens with Steve's mom. Their house isn't big in the extravagant way that Tony's is. But isn't small either; with its two stories and hallways that seem to go on forever—Tony suspects magic is involved here— in all, it's warmer than Tony's house would ever be, and it's evident that a loving family lives in it.

Tony is sort of surprised to find Bucky there, but with Steve's apparently nack for picking up strays, he should had known better. Steve's mom is very nice, and beautiful. Tony can see where Steve got his sky blue eyes. His dad is sarcastically funny and Tony likes him a lot from the get go. Neither of Steve's parents seem to care that Steve brought another person to their festivities.

Tony is sent to leave his bag in one of the guest rooms on the top floor. He ends up being right across the hall from where Steve's bedroom is, while Bucky's is next to it.

“Did he carry you until you said yes?” Bucky asks, taking a sip from what Tony thinks is coffee.

Tony stops from untying his boots, and stares at him. “Did he do the same thing to you?”

“Nah,” Bucky waves his hand. “He head locked me until I agreed. Since then, I don't attempt to say ‘no’ anymore.”

Tony snorts.

“He did said he would carry you if you said no.”

“That he did.”

Bucky regards him in silence for a few minutes, and Tony fights the urge to squirm because Bucky has one of those stares that make you feel like you stole his puppy.

“Don't break his heart.” He says, before stepping out of Tony's room.

Tony blinks, astonished. Wondering where that came from, if he's being too obvious, or if he knows something that Tony doesn't—which irks the shit out of him. He stays in his room, thinking, until Steve comes to drag him down for lunch. And he decides that there's no way Bucky knows about his feelings for Steve, and he's just trying to mess with him.

~*~

It happened when Tony wasn't paying attention. Well, that's not true. If he's honest, it might had happened as soon he realized Steve wasn't the asshole he’d painted him to be. Without that, anything else he was avoiding to see couldn't be avoided anymore, and the more time he spent getting to know Steve, it got easier to see.

Somewhere down the line, Tony started to care more and want more than he ever has wanted from anyone else. And the fact that Steve wanted to spend time with him just made his confusing feelings grow and set up house inside his heart. No one has ever looked at Tony like Steve does, like everything he says is, well, magical and out of this world, and he can't get enough of it. No one outside from Pepper and Rhodey understands Tony like Steve does. Never mind that Steve is fucking hot, a sarcastic little shit who makes Tony laugh until his stomach hurts and he's crying, and he's as noble and brave as Professor Thor's Griffin. He's also very stubborn, and while that would drive Tony away from any person, with Steve over the time it became something endearing.

So now, he's left with all these strange emotions whenever he's around Steve and he has no idea what do with it. He's never wanted to have more than just a one night stand with someone before, and the prospect of a more-than-friends relationship with Steve doesn't make him want to gag like it normally would.

Will Tony be brave enough to tell Steve? Hell to the No! He doesn't want to mess up what they already have. Steve is too important to him now to let something like unrequited feelings to get in the way. It will pass. It's just a stupid crush.

He’ll get over it.

~*~

Tony has a great time with the Rogers family, and Bucky. He gets to experience what truly being with family is, and while before he didn't care because he didn't know better, now he sees what he’s missing and it sort of hurts that his parents choose to be at a conference than spending time with their only son at Christmas. He can’t help but get a little somber. After they have their Christmas dinner and everybody is full and contented, Tony excuses himself to his room because he doesn't want to be the party's Grinch.

He gets that his parents are always super busy, but he can't help but wonder what did he do for them to not want to spend any time with him. He can't be that bad if Steve is his friend, right? His parents will probably won’t get to even meet him, just as they haven't met most of his friends, and that's a shame. Although thinking about it longer, it's probably better not to expose Steve to them. He would stop being his friend in a second.

“What are you doing here, all alone?”

Tony clears his throat, swallowing the tears because he doesn't want to cry in front of Steve. “Go back to the party, Steve.”

He must not make a good job on deterring him, because Steve closes the door, and sits on Tony's bed.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asks, and his concern is so genuine Tony wants to spill everything to him.

But if he opens that bottle of parental bullshit, he's going to cause a flood, and he doesn't feel like ruining Steve's Christmas.

“Don't worry about it. It's not important.”

“It has to be if you're sitting here moping.”

“I don't want to talk about it, okay?” Tony snaps, making Steve reel back. Tony curses mentally. “I'm sorry,” he sighs. “I just don't want to talk right now.”

“Okay, I understand.” Steve moves to sit next to him. And when he raises his arm to pull Tony into a side-hug, Tony doesn't think about it twice before taking the offering.

Which was a terrible mistake because while he doesn't want to talk, he's still thinking about his parents and Steve being so good to him is just making the tears start to flow.

“Tony.” Steve whispers mournfully.

“I'm okay. I'm fine.” Tony assures him, voice trembling with the strain of trying to stop crying.

“No, you are not.”

“Steve please—“

“It's okay, you don't have to tell me, Tony.” Steve quickly says. “I'm still going to be here for you.”

Tony moves away, just a few inches, so he can look at Steve. Mistake number two, because now their faces are very close and the urge to kiss him is taking over his despair.

Steve glances down at Tony's lips, and Tony is totally sure he's not reading this wrong then.

They meet midway, a chaste kiss, touch of butterbeer taste and cherry pie merging on their lips. When they come apart, it's like Tony can't breathe and he can't believe that just happened. Dammit. So much for self control. His thoughts are short circuited by Steve leaning in for another kiss, this time it's anything but chaste. And Tony is too weak to say no; he wants this too much to miss the opportunity of having Steve like this. Steve is soon swiping his tongue over Tony's lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss that Tony gives him willingly. Holy shit who would had thought Steve is such a good kisser, and every tangle of his tongue with his is making Tony warm all over, and the blood migrate from his brain to his groin in record seconds.

He doesn't want to stop kissing Steve, ever. Somehow Tony ends up on his back with Steve on top, and the new position allows him to feel how excited Steve is too. Tony moans into Steve's mouth, breaking apart to take some air, but quickly coming back to build a place in Steve's lips again. Their hips start to move without them even thinking it, sweet drag of their dicks rubbing together through their clothes. Fuck, that feels fantastic, and he would never had guessed either that sex would be so much better when you're actually emotionally involved. He wants to do this, and everything else with Steve, everyday for the rest of his life. And while that thought scares him— to get so attached to Steve that if it weren't to work it would destroy Tony— the other possibilities that he calculates are worse in his head.

Steve grinds down hard, sending such electric shock through Tony's cock to every nerve in his body, that Tony is tipping over the edge before he can finish taking a breath.

“Damn that's hot.” Steve pants, as Tony pulls him back for another round of kissing as he rides he aftershocks. He then snakes a hand between, and it takes only the touch of his hand cupping Steve's cock for him to come in his pants too.

Tony grins. It feels powerful to see what he can do to Steve, and that maybe Steve is as deep in this as Tony is.

They ride the last of their orgasms kissing languidly— he wasn't joking when he said he wants to kiss Steve forever. Then Steve rolls over and lies down next to him.

“That really just happened?” Steve asks, and if there wasn't such noticeable awe and happiness in his voice, Tony would have thought he regretted it.

“And it was awesome.” He says, because he's brain is still offline and he can't think of anything smart or witty in reply.

Steve starts to giggle.

“Oh no. Don't tell me you're losing your mind just now.” Tony jokes.

“You don't know how long I've been waiting to have something like this with you.”

“What?” Tony sits up. “How long exactly?”

“Years.”

Tony smacks him on the chest. “And you didn't tell me?”

“You hated it me, remember?”

“I never hated you!”

“Well you did a good job to make it seem like you did.”

Tony huffs.

“Are we okay?” Steve asks, and there is fear in his voice; the same fear Tony has been feeling all along. That’s all Tony needs to know that he can trust his heart to Steve.

“We are, if you think we are.”

“Good.” Steve pulls him down for more bruising kisses. “Does that mean we're dating now?”

“Yeah. I might screw it up though.”

“No, you won't.” Steve kisses him again. “We will learn together, and we'll fix things together. Because that's what people in a relationships do.”

“I thought they just loved each other.”

“That too.”

Tony blushes. “Alright you're crossing into the fluff field, and I won't allow it.”

“Are you two done bumping uglies?” Bucky's voice breaks through the door.

Steve squeaks. “Have you been there the whole fucking time?!”

“Your mom is asking for the both of you to come down for a game of charades. Get yourselves together so she doesn’t have to go through the trauma I just went through, before you come down.” He grouches, and they hear his steps moving away.

Steve's face is so bright red that Tony can't help but giggle until he almost pees his pants.

“It's not funny!”

“Your face says the opposite.” Tony digs, as he gets up from the bed and gets a new pair of pants and underwear, before starting to strip down. He hears Steve move around the room, probably doing the same, and Tony has to force himself not to take a peek. But at the end it's too much of a tentation, and when he's bending down to slide his pants on, he looks between his legs and gets a nice view of Steve ass just before it disappears from view. And he thinks that he couldn't had scored better even if he tried.

“So, do I get to call you my boyfriend when we go back to school?” Steve asks, scoffing his sneakers on the floor.

Tony walks towards him, and rounds Steve's neck with his arms. “I will be so offended if you don't.”

He's a bit surprised how much he means that. Even though he has his doubts and is afraid of how much he could screw everything between them, Steve believes they can do this together. And Tony is willing to believe that he's made for happiness too, and that he deserves someone like Steve to love him the same way.

When Steve answers with a wide smile that makes Tony's stomach flutter, he thinks that maybe after all Steve is all he really needs.

 

**~Fin~**

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


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